Master of Her Virtue - By Miranda Lee Page 0,52

lapelled jacket was simple and buttonless, falling straight to mid-thigh and swishing sexily around her hips as she walked. Underneath the jacket was a silky white shirt which had a deep V-neckline, showing more than a hint of cleavage.

Her hair was up in an elegantly sleek French roll, which suited her, but made her look older than twenty-five. Her face was very well made up, Leo noted, her lips a bright red gloss. Unlike most of the male species, he knew a lot about female make-up. Her eyebrows definitely looked different, thinner and more arched. But her eyes were just the same. Lovely, warm and glittering at that moment with undisguised happiness.

Still no artifice in his Snow White, he saw with a sense of relief. No pretence. She might look more groomed in her appearance but she was still the same sweet Violet who had enchanted him.

Not the sort of girl that a gentleman seduced in the back of a limousine!

And he was a gentleman. Or hoped he was.

The driver, who by then had stowed the luggage away, hurried round to open the car door for Violet. At the same time, Leo slid to the far side of the seat, putting himself at a safe, non-seducing distance.

‘Oh!’ she exclaimed on sighting him, her face breaking into a wide smile. ‘You came to meet me. How lovely!’ She sat down, not far enough away for Leo’s liking, but he could hardly complain.

‘You’re the one who’s lovely,’ he complimented her, and bent over to give her a welcoming peck on her cheek before quickly sitting back again. ‘I like your hair up. It suits you. I see you also went back to that sales girl you told me about. That outfit you’ve got on is even better than your little black dress.’

She beamed at him. ‘I’ll have you know I chose this suit all by myself! Of course, I didn’t wear it onto the plane. I didn’t think white was a good idea for travelling, so I carried it on and put it on this morning after breakfast.’

Leo’s mind was already racing ahead to when he could take it off her. But he could hardly say that, could he?

‘I do that sometimes when I travel,’ he said instead. ‘Wear casual clothes for the flight and carry a suit with me. So, what was your flight like? Did you get any sleep?’

Keep talking, Leo. Because, if you don’t, you’re going to kiss her, and then you won’t be able to stop.

‘I did, surprisingly. I thought I wouldn’t because I was so excited.’

Oh, God. The last thing he wanted to think about was her being excited.

The limousine moved off, Leo in two minds now whether to slide up the privacy screen or not. Even as he surrendered to temptation and pressed the button he tried telling himself it was just so that they could talk without being overheard by the driver. Nothing more.

Yeah, right, Leo, came the brutal voice of honesty. And what’s your excuse for dressing the way you did this morning? He was not in a suit and tie, but in loosely fitted trousers and a soft-to-touch mohair sweater. This is what you had in mind all along, and nothing is going to stop you, certainly not some last-minute appeal to your conscience. What you feel for Violet is way beyond your conscience. Way beyond common sense. To fight it is ridiculous, and not what she wants at all. She’s come here to be seduced.

So seduce her, you fool, and stop hiding behind your gentlemanly image of yourself!

A decision reached, Leo refused to battle with his qualms any longer, settling back into the leather seat to watch Violet’s reaction as the screen slid into place. Her eyes blinked wide for a second and there was a definite quickening of her breathing. But no visible panic in her face. Or alarm.

He was right. This was what she wanted: excitement. Adventure. Sex!

And so did he. But, despite the intensity of his arousal, he was determined not to hurry things. It would take at least forty minutes to make it from the airport to the hotel at this time of the day, Paris suffering from similar traffic problems to London. Time enough for more than a quickie.

‘Here. Let me help you with your jacket,’ he said smoothly. ‘It’s quite warm in here and it’ll take a while to get to the hotel.’

There was no suspicion in her eyes before she twisted round on the seat